In 1999, Juliet Cutler leaves the United States to teach at the first school for Maasai girls in East Africa. Captivated by the stories of young Maasai women determined to get an education in the midst of a culture caught between the past and the future, she seeks to empower and support her students as they struggle to define their own fates.
Cutler soon learns that behind their shy smiles and timid facades, her Maasai students are much stronger than they appear. For them, adolescence requires navigating a risky world of forced marriages, rape, and genital cutting, all in the midst of a culture grappling with globalization. In the face of these challenges, these young women believe education offers hope, and so, against all odds, they set off alone―traveling hundreds of miles and even forsaking their families―simply to go to school.
Twenty years of involvement with this school and its students reveal to Cutler the important impacts of education across time, as well as the challenges inherent in tackling issues of human rights and extreme poverty across vastly different cultures. Working alongside local educators, Cutler emerges transformed by the community she finds in Tanzania and by witnessing the life-changing impact of education on her students.
Proceeds from the sale of this book support education for at-risk Maasai girls.
Industry Reviews
2020 Best Book Awards Finalist in Narrative: Non-Fiction
2020 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award, Best New Voice in Nonfiction (Gold Medal Winner)
2020 Independent Publisher Book Award, Multicultural Nonfiction (Gold Medal Winner)
2020 National Indie Excellence Award, Multicultural Nonfiction (Gold Medal Winner)
2020 International Book Awards, Best New Non-Fiction (Finalist)
2020 International Book Awards, Narrative Non-Fiction (Finalist)
2020 Eric Hoffer Award (Finalist)
2020 American Book Fest: Best Book Award, Narrative Non-Fiction (Finalist)
2019 Living Now Book Award, Inspirational Memoir by a Woman (Bronze Medal Winner)
2019 Sarton Women's Book Award, Memoir (Finalist)
2019 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year, Women’s Studies (Finalist)
2019 Chanticleer Journey Book Award for Narrative Nonfiction (Semi-Finalist)
"The book is a valuable record, showing both the successes and limitations of education . . . [an] enlightening account of teaching in East Africa."
-Kirkus Reviews
“A thoroughly engaging and meaningful look into the struggles confronted by many indigenous societies today and the challenges faced by the educators who are at the forefront during these rapidly changing times.”
—Kenneth Cushner, EdD, Professor Emeritus, International Education, Kent State University, and author of Teacher as Traveler and Beyond Tourism
“Few writers are gifted with Cutler’s graceful ability to step back when necessary, balancing between her roles as narrator, observer, and participant. Among the Maasai is a must-read for anyone dedicated to the uplifting of women by women, the gender-education gap, and the beauty of perseverance.”
—Camille Griep, editor of Easy Street: A Magazine of Words and Culture, communications director for Prison Renaissance, and author of New Charity Blues and Letters to Zell
“This is a credible, brave work that reflects the stark realities faced by girls from the majority of Maasai society and the hurdles they face on the way to achieving educational liberation.”
—Nengai Lazaro Benton, English teacher, graduate of Maasai Girls Secondary School
“With courage, Juliet Cutler confronts the complexities of privilege, race, culture, and self-doubt, as well as the paradox of helping others. She emerges transformed by lifelong friendships and with the conviction that empowering local leaders makes a profound difference. Among the Maasai is a compelling must-read for anyone working in developing countries.”
—Deborah Griffin, LCSW, former chair of La Gonave Haiti Partners
“Juliet Cutler observes complex juxtapositions—intersections of wealth and poverty, modern and traditional, insider and outsider. She asks herself difficult questions—about her place in the business of helping, her motives, and the limits of her role as a teacher from a different culture. But there is powerful sophistication in her questions and in this beautiful account of transformation.”
—Daudi Msseemmaa, Senior Adviser, Mwangaza Education for Partnership
“Juliet Cutler’s insights into the lives and challenges of the Maasai people make for a compelling read and honest look behind the veneer of village life often seen by tourists.”
—Lisa Brochu and Tim Merriman, PhD, coauthors of The Leopard Tree
"This brave and heartfelt account of Juliet Cutler’s journey in Tanzania is an inspiring and important work. Through the intersection of her story with the extraordinary experiences of her young Maasai students, Juliet reveals the transformative power of educat
